Published: Friday, January 2, 2009 at 10:08 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, January 2, 2009 at 10:08 p.m.

ASHEVILLE - Federal prosecutors have filed a plea agreement in the case against a former North Henderson High School teacher charged with soliciting a child by using a computer.

A hearing on the agreement in U.S. District Court in Asheville could produce a guilty plea in the federal case against David Frank Pace, 58.

The Buncombe County District Attorney's office, meanwhile, said Friday that the state's charges against Pace had been dismissed. Buncombe County District Attorney Ron Moore said in November that the U.S. Attorney's Office had taken the case and would prosecute Pace. After the federal case had been resolved, Moore said, his office would dismiss the charges against the former teacher.

Pace, who is being held in the Buncombe County jail, was indicted in October on one federal count of felony coercion or enticement of a female.

Court records show he is scheduled to appear in federal court Monday for a plea hearing. Details about the plea agreement were restricted from view in the federal electronic court file available to the public. Attempts to reach Pace's attorney, Max O. Cogburn Jr. of Asheville, were unsuccessful.

The status of other charges pending against Pace was unclear.

He faced charges in Guilford County and Greenville, S.C., for participating in graphic online chats with minors or soliciting minor females through the Internet using the screen names Mtn Man and Wantencounter.

The former carpentry and technical teacher was arrested July 7 in Asheville by the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office after he allegedly chatted online with police officers posing as minors. He was charged with soliciting a child by using a computer.

Later Greenville, S.C., police charged Pace with four counts of criminal solicitation of a minor, for which he could receive 40 years in prison, for allegedly taking part in graphic online chats with detectives posing as young teenagers. Guilford County authorities charged him with two counts of criminal solicitation of a minor. He was originally jailed under a $90,000 secured bond, and had his bond increased to $190,000 after the Guilford County charges were brought.

Pace, of 68 Hog Rock Road, began teaching at North Henderson High in 1993 after retiring from the Air Force.

<p>ASHEVILLE - Federal prosecutors have filed a plea agreement in the case against a former North Henderson High School teacher charged with soliciting a child by using a computer.</p><p>A hearing on the agreement in U.S. District Court in Asheville could produce a guilty plea in the federal case against David Frank Pace, 58.</p><p>The Buncombe County District Attorney's office, meanwhile, said Friday that the state's charges against Pace had been dismissed. Buncombe County District Attorney Ron Moore said in November that the U.S. Attorney's Office had taken the case and would prosecute Pace. After the federal case had been resolved, Moore said, his office would dismiss the charges against the former teacher.</p><p>Pace, who is being held in the Buncombe County jail, was indicted in October on one federal count of felony coercion or enticement of a female.</p><p>Court records show he is scheduled to appear in federal court Monday for a plea hearing. Details about the plea agreement were restricted from view in the federal electronic court file available to the public. Attempts to reach Pace's attorney, Max O. Cogburn Jr. of Asheville, were unsuccessful.</p><p>The status of other charges pending against Pace was unclear.</p><p>He faced charges in Guilford County and Greenville, S.C., for participating in graphic online chats with minors or soliciting minor females through the Internet using the screen names Mtn Man and Wantencounter.</p><p>The former carpentry and technical teacher was arrested July 7 in Asheville by the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office after he allegedly chatted online with police officers posing as minors. He was charged with soliciting a child by using a computer.</p><p>Later Greenville, S.C., police charged Pace with four counts of criminal solicitation of a minor, for which he could receive 40 years in prison, for allegedly taking part in graphic online chats with detectives posing as young teenagers. Guilford County authorities charged him with two counts of criminal solicitation of a minor. He was originally jailed under a $90,000 secured bond, and had his bond increased to $190,000 after the Guilford County charges were brought.</p><p>Pace, of 68 Hog Rock Road, began teaching at North Henderson High in 1993 after retiring from the Air Force.</p><p><em>Harbin can be reached at 694-7881 or john.harbin@blueridgenow.com</em></p>